It is the maturity.<\/p>\n
That, at least, is what has impressed India A coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar during his time with the teenager. Having first worked with Sooryavanshi in the Under-19 set-up and now on India\u2019s ongoing A tour of Sri Lanka, Kanitkar has enjoyed a front-row seat to one of Indian cricket\u2019s quickest and most closely watched rises.<\/p>\n
The advantage, Kanitkar feels, is that the two already understand each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing into this tour, the good part is that we know each other very well,\u201d Kanitkar told Sportstar. \u201cHe understands what I say, why I say things like that. And I know that he is young, but he\u2019s got a great grasp of his batting and his role in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a player still in his mid-teens, Sooryavanshi has found himself navigating an environment populated by cricketers either knocking on the doors of the national side or trying to force their way back into contention. It is a dressing room far removed from age-group cricket, one in which players are expected to take ownership of both their preparation and performances.<\/p>\n
Kanitkar, however, does not believe the youngster requires special handling.<\/p>\n
One of the qualities that stands out, he said, is Sooryavanshi\u2019s willingness to listen and learn.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing about him is that he listens when somebody speaks about his batting and he will put it into practice,\u201d Kanitkar said. \u201cThen we have discussions again, whether it\u2019s working, not working, whatever it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
The process, as Kanitkar describes it, is a simple one.<\/p>\n
A conversation leads to an adjustment, which is then tested in practice or in a match situation, before another discussion follows. For coaches, that willingness to absorb feedback can be every bit as valuable as technical ability.<\/p>\n
Fresh from a memorable IPL season, where Sooryavanshi earned the Orange Cap with a record-breaking 776 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 237.30 and shattered the record for the most sixes in a single IPL campaign, the teenager\u2019s preparation has also left an impression on the former India batter.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as his batting is concerned, the way he goes about it, his whole preparation, practice, everything, is very mature,\u201d Kanitkar said. \u201cIt\u2019s not like he\u2019s not aware of what the demands will be, or he\u2019s not already preparing for those.\u201d<\/p>\n
That level of awareness, according to Kanitkar, means his conversations with Sooryavanshi are often no different from those he has with considerably older players.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that way, there\u2019s not a huge difference between what I would talk with him and somebody else who\u2019s older and is playing in India A.\u201d<\/p>\n
The attention surrounding Sooryavanshi has inevitably prompted discussions about how carefully he should be managed. At 15, he remains one of the youngest players to find himself under such intense scrutiny, and there is understandable caution around ensuring that the spotlight does not become overwhelming.<\/p>\n
![\"Vaibhav](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/b63kes\/article71103557.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/26_RVM_8695.jpg\" "\\"Vaibhav")
<\/p>\n\n | Photo Credit:
\n RV MOORTHY\n <\/p>\n
![\"lightbox-info\"\/](\"https:\/\/assetsss.thehindu.com\/theme\/images\/SSRX\/lightbox-info.svg\")
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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi holds the record for the most sixes in a single IPL season after he struck 72 in the 2026 campaign.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n RV MOORTHY\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
As he prepares for his maiden tour of Ireland and England with India\u2019s senior men\u2019s team, the BCCI has allowed his parents to accompany him in an effort to ease the transition.<\/p>\n
As India A\u2019s head coach in Sri Lanka, Kanitkar\u2019s approach is rooted in something more fundamental.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, you respect personal spaces,\u201d he said. \u201cYou respect everyone, doesn\u2019t matter what the age is.\u201d<\/p>\n
For him, age should not determine how a player is treated within a team environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing respected as a person, being understood as a person, matters. It doesn\u2019t matter what age a player is. And it\u2019s the same with Vaibhav as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
That does not mean the youngster is navigating the journey alone. Far from it.<\/p>\n
Kanitkar pointed out that Sooryavanshi has already spent considerable time working with professionals across different aspects of the game and has become accustomed to the demands of a high-performance environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he\u2019s very focused, very committed to his game,\u201d Kanitkar said. \u201cHe\u2019s been handled by a lot of professionals throughout the last few months or years.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a result, the coach believes the youngster already possesses a fair understanding of what is expected of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo he knows what he should be doing, when to do what,\u201d Kanitkar said.<\/p>\n
The support staff, too, have played an important role.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fitness experts and the physio, Thulasi (Thulasi Ram Yuvaraj), are very good. Harrsha (A.I. Harrsha), the strength and conditioning coach, is very good. They\u2019re all taking good care of every player, not just Vaibhav.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even within a squad packed with talented cricketers, Sooryavanshi\u2019s ability to think ahead has caught the coach\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s shrewd about the way he needs to prepare, what\u2019s going to come ahead, all those things,\u201d Kanitkar said.<\/p>\n
Kanitkar knows that there would be times when the youngster would falter, but being cautious and smart in his approach will help him overcome the slump in form.<\/p>\n
The conversation around Sooryavanshi also offered a window into Kanitkar\u2019s broader thinking on player development. Having spent years working within the Centre of Excellence and with India\u2019s World Cup-winning U-19 teams, he has coached players at almost every stage of the pathway.<\/p>\n
What has struck him in recent years is the growing maturity of young cricketers entering the system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe maturity of the Under-19 players we had and have been having for the last few years is pretty impressive,\u201d Kanitkar said.<\/p>\n
Far from arriving as unfinished prospects, many already possess a sophisticated understanding of their games.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey know their game pretty well. They play a lot of cricket. They spend a lot of time practising and all those things.\u201d<\/p>\n
That, he believes, explains why the conversations he has with U-19 players and India A cricketers are often not vastly different.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is on similar lines to what I used to talk about with the U-19s and what I am talking about now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The difference lies in the details.<\/p>\n
India A players, by virtue of having played more cricket at a higher level, require more specific inputs.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, in India A, they have played a lot more cricket at the highest level. It\u2019s about smaller aspects of what they need to do. Maybe it could be some way of thinking. It could be something tactical, not necessarily technical,\u201d Kanitkar said.<\/p>\n
At the U-19 level, coaches may still need to address technical aspects of a player\u2019s game. By the time players reach India A, the focus shifts increasingly towards game awareness, decision-making and tactical clarity.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch things are more predominant in India A than U-19\u2026 In U-19, a little bit of technical things comes in. There are a lot of tactical factors as well because they are gaining experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
As players move up the ladder, the margins become finer and the conversations more precise.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are obviously getting better in tactical, technical, mental, and everything. So the inputs are very specific and just to the point, mostly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kanitkar also touched upon another challenge that comes with working in India\u2019s cricket ecosystem. Players often move between domestic teams, IPL franchises, national pathways and specialist coaches, encountering different ideas and methods along the way.<\/p>\n
![\"Left-hander](\"https:\/\/ss-i.thgim.com\/public\/incoming\/wz9zox\/article71103560.ece\/alternates\/FREE_1200\/11908_24_5_2026_15_54_35_4_DSC_5379.JPG\" "\\"Left-hander")
<\/p>\n Left-hander Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was named IPL 2026\u2019s Most Valuable Player and also picked up the emerging player award and the Orange Cap, given to the highest run-scorer.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n EMMANUAL YOGINI\n <\/p>\n
<\/figcaption><\/div>\n
\n
Left-hander Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was named IPL 2026\u2019s Most Valuable Player and also picked up the emerging player award and the Orange Cap, given to the highest run-scorer.
\n | Photo Credit:
\n EMMANUAL YOGINI\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In that environment, ensuring continuity becomes crucial for coaches at the Centre of Excellence (CoE).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe good part is that because of the work we do at CoE, we have interactions with all these players throughout the year,\u201d Kanitkar said. \u201cA lot of them are monitored, a lot of them are in touch. Many come to CoE one time or another for practice, training, whatever it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those interactions help establish familiarity and trust long before a tour squad is assembled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe advantage is that the other coaches and I\u2026 we get to know them pretty well as people\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
For Kanitkar, that remains the foundation of coaching.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce you have that rapport, once that trust is there, for a coach, having the player\u2019s trust is the most important. Once the player trusts you and what you are saying, once he knows what you are saying, it carries weight, and it\u2019s helpful,\u201d Kanitkar said.<\/p>\n
From there, things become easier.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not starting from zero every time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
And for those entering the system for the first time, his priority remains unchanged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the first thing. You need to get to know them as people rather than straight away jump into cricket and all those things,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
It is a philosophy that has guided much of Kanitkar\u2019s work over the years, and one that appears particularly relevant when working with a teenager carrying uncommon expectations.<\/p>\n
For now, the cricketing world will continue to marvel at Sooryavanshi\u2019s talent and speculate about how far it might take him. Inside the dressing room, however, Kanitkar sees something just as significant: a youngster who understands his game, embraces feedback and carries himself with a maturity that belies his age.<\/p>\n
Published on Jun 15, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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